FOX Abandoning Blu-ray?
With the exception of the upcoming release of Night At The Museum, all upcoming FOX Blu-ray titles have been removed from their release schedule.But HD DVD fans hoping that this marks an abandonment by FOX of the format or, better yet, an indication that FOX may be moving over to the HD DVD side of things, need to take a deep breath. It's not going to happen.
The real truth behind FOX's move is a concern over DRM (Digital Rights Management) and the copyright protection currently being applied to Blu-ray releases. The current method, AACS (Advanced Access Content System), has already had its code cracked by a number of online hackers, and FOX is reportedly holding out for additional copyright encryption protection to be put in place.
That new protection will be coming soon, in the form of BD+, which doesn't replace AACS, but works as an additional form of protection for Blu-ray discs - a program that evaluates the security enviroment of the player the disc is being played on and authorizes play of the disc each time it is used. BD+ technology also allows the studio to update encryption on future releases...meaning that if a certain code gets "cracked" by hackers, the studios can update with new encrypted codes on their future Blu-ray titles.
Once BD+ is finalized and begins to be added as an additional form of copyright protection on Blu-ray releases, expect FOX to return full-steam into the Blu-ray game.
posted by Shannon T. Nutt at 10:50 AM
5 Comments:
That is pure speculation however. Video business is reporting that it is replication setbacks. Replication capacity is struggling to keep up, and newer titles are being given the precedence. So the Fox/MGM catalog stuff is still coming (probably without BD+). You can check out the full story at Video Business Magazine.
Replication and DRM problems my ass. It's the new Walmart HD-DVD 2 million unit deal that has them shaking their heads. Why invest in a format that's pretty much over.
It makes perfect sense.
Time until Fox goes neutral in 3,2,1 and...
You mean the 2 million HD DVD deal that Wal*Mart and the HD DVD PRG both aren't confirming, and which may in fact be a deal for Blu-ray Disc players?
Yeah, thanks. HD DVD is dead, they couldn't give away players with as little content as they have. Once the Pirates of the Caribbean and Spider-man films are released, it'll be over.
Except the "Walmart HD DVD 2 million units deal" was announced by both Walmart and the rumored supplier to be false. There is no deal. It is entirely a DRM deal. The only reason BD+ even exists is Fox's insistence on it.
Guys! Wal-Mart are format agnostic.
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